Fullmetal Alchemist: Story of a Griffin
by AmayaTakahashi
Summary: Natalie Griffin has had a hard childhood. After she met Edward and Alphonse, she is determined to join the military and help protect the only family she has left, and help the Elric brothers restore what they had lost.
1. Prologue

_Hey this is my first story so please be nice and tell me what can be improved._

_**I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**_ If i did then i would be dating/marrying Edward_****_

_**Fullmetal Alchemist: Story of the Griffin **_

**Prologue**

It seemed like such a peaceful dream. Natalie and Nellie were happy children with Maria and Joseph Griffin. The twin sisters always woke up in the morning with a smile on their faces, knowing that they will have another happy day with their mother and father. Every morning, Joseph would get up and head off to Eastern Headquarters, for his job as a State Alchemist. Then Maria would make breakfast for her lovely daughters. The twins would always run downstairs to breakfast as if it were a race. Nellie was always the reckless sister, as for Natalie, she's always cautious about whatever Nellie tries to do. One day, Nellie and Natalie took a short cut to get home from the store. While they were walking on the bridge, Nellie climbs up the edge and walks like it was a balance beam.

"Nellie, you shouldn't do that." said Natalie anxiously.

"Nah, I'll be fine sis!" says Nellie, completely relaxed. "You shouldn't worry so much. Come on up here, its fun!"

"But, you'll fall!"

"No I won't! It takes more than that to knock me down!"

Suddenly a gust of wind hits Nellie in the face. She loses her balance and falls right into the river. Nellie comes up the surface, gasping for air.

"Nellie!" cried Natalie. She runs to the edge of the river and quickly runs under the bridge. She reaches her hand out to her sister. "Come over here!"

Nellie tries the paddle and fight against the water as best as she could, but she doesn't move any closer. "Natalie! I can't swim!"

Natalie began to panic. She looks around for someone who can help. She quickly ran up the top of the bridge, screaming "Help! My sister needs help! She's going to drown!" She continues to yell for help until a strange man quickly walks up to her. Natalie stared up at the man with tears in her eyes. His hair was long, and blonde. His beard practically covered his jaw, and his glasses lay on the bridge of his nose perfectly. When the man spoke, it seemed as though she was not that much afraid anymore.

"Where is your sister?" said the man. "Maybe I can help."

Natalie felt more tears coming out and when she spoke, her voice was shaky.

"She's in the river!"

She grabs the man by the hand and quickly leads him to the river under the bridge. Nellie is still at the surface of the water, kicking her legs to try and stay above. The man walked calmly to the edge of the water and got down on his knees. He clapped his hands, and placed them on the soil. A spark of lightning surrounds him, and a portion of the ground rose below Nellie. It rose above the water and she quickly ran to her sister, panting.

"Nellie, I told you that was dangerous!" Natalie said.

"I know, I know, I'll be more careful sis." Nellie said, still panting.

The ground sunk back under the water, and the man stood up. The twins looked up at the man about ready to walk away.

"Wait!" says Natalie.

The man stopped and turned around to face Natalie.

"Um, thank you for saving my sister." She said.

The man smiled. "You're welcome little one." He said. "You two should head home. A storm is on its way. If you like, I help you get home to your family."

The twins said they could make it on their own. So they bid the man farewell, and hurried home. When their mother found Nellie soaked, Natalie told her the whole story. Then because Nellie got so reckless that day, she ended up getting a cold. Ever since then, Natalie became more responsible on taking care of her older sister.

A couple years later the family was going to have a new member of the family; a baby girl! Natalie and Nellie were both very excited and couldn't wait to see their new younger sister. However, one day Joseph and Nellie were out shopping while Natalie was helping Maria with the cooking and housework. Little did they know that the Father and the eldest child in the family ended up in a car accident. Joseph Griffin died, and Nellie Griffin was reported missing. Roy Mustang, who was one of Joseph's superiors, didn't report the news to the rest of the Griffin family until later that evening. Maria and Natalie would pray every day for Nellie to be found alive so they would be happy that she is safe.

After that, every day was a bit risky. Maria would not let Natalie go out to the store because she fears her daughter would be killed or kidnapped. And Maria was not always in a good mood to go get goods from the store herself, so there were days she had to send Natalie out on her own.

Natalie always found Alchemy interesting as she passed her father's old bookshelf every day. Maria planned to sell the books since they were going to be of no use to the family anymore, but Natalie stopped her.

"I want to learn alchemy mom!" Natalie announced.

Natalie's mother couldn't help but allow her to learn. Every day Natalie would study and perform alchemy. Eventually she studied every tiny detail of the alchemy books her father had and was already full of knowledge. Natalie would sometimes make tiny trinkets for her mother to enjoy. Every time Natalie created something out of alchemy, her mother would say,

"I'm sure your father is proud to have such a talented young alchemist. Who knows, maybe you'll take your father's place in the military."

And that became Natalie's dream. Someday when she gets old enough, she will join the military and become a State Alchemist. She wished to carry on her father's name, "The Green Lion" Alchemist.

When the day came for the baby to be born, Natalie would stay with her mother until the doctor came to help Maria give birth. Maria then named her newborn daughter Kimberly, and was mostly watched by her older sister, Natalie.

Since Maria was the only parent in the family, she was the one who had to get a job. Natalie, who is now ten years old, would watch over her sister as their mother works her hardest to bring food to the table.

Throughout the next year, Mustang and Hawkeye would often visit the family for a short amount of time. Every time Mustang came for a visit, he would bring an old Alchemy book from the library, and Natalie was soon filled with more knowledge. She chose the safe path of not taking any risks of trying to become like God. In other words, she chose to never perform human transmutation, no matter how convincing it seems to her. Later on that year, Maria ended up with a serious illness, and had to rest in bed every day. Natalie was almost eleven, and was soon given the job to cook, clean, and do laundry. For a girl as small as she was, she always managed to get the job done. However, by the time Natalie's birthday came and went, and when Kimberly soon turned two years old, Maria passed away. Natalie began to worry about how they were going to live. Roy and Hawkeye stayed at their house after the funeral and began to think how the girls would be able to live. Natalie, with determination in her eyes, stood up and announced,

"I'll become a dog of the military to help my sister!"

Mustang and Hawkeye were surprised of her enthusiasm, but they refused.

"We're glad you wish to become a State Alchemist like your father, Natalie," Roy said.

"But we can't let a young girl at age eleven work to keep food on the table for her two year old sister." Hawkeye finished.

Natalie realized that they were right, and she sat down, feeling helpless.

"But…" Roy said.

Hawkeye and Natalie looked at him curiously.

"We could take you girls to Risembool…There is a woman there named Pinako Rockbell…she might be able to take care of you two."

"Sir, with all due respect," Hawkeye said, "I don't think Miss Rockbell would be able to take care of two more children. She already has three to take care of."

"And we have a young boy there who wishes to become a State Alchemist to restore what he and his brother have lost. If Natalie here joins them, Miss Rockbell would only have to take care of her granddaughter and Kimberly. It is worth a try."

"…I guess you are right. We can try to ask her to care for these girls."

The next day Mustang, Hawkeye, and the two orphaned sisters took a train to a small town named Risembool. When they arrived at a small yellow house, a young girl with long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail greeted them.

"Oh Mr. Mustang, Miss Hawkeye!" the young girl said surprised. "What brings you here?"

"Winry, is your grandmother home?" Hawkeye asked with a smile. "We need to speak to her."

"Sure she is." Winry replied. "But she's busy taking care of Edward…" she looks back at the front door with a slightly concerned look on her face.

"I see…Well, can she spare a minute?"

"Uhm I can ask, why don't you come in?" she jogs back into the house.

Mustang, Hawkeye and the sisters entered the Rockbell household and waited in the living room. Ten minutes passed and Pinako walked out of the room wearing a white lab coat and gloves all stained with blood. Natalie looked at Pinako's blood stained coat and gloves and remembered what Winry said earlier. She was busy taking care of a boy named Edward? What on earth was wrong with him? Was he sick? Was he seriously injured? Was it really okay for us to barge in at a time like this!

"Sorry for the long wait." Pinako said.

"It's all right madam." Roy said calmly. "How is he doing?"

"Much better, he should be almost finished. He's been coughing out blood and has been in a lot of pain, but he really knows what he signed up for, so he's hanging in there."

"I see…"

Pinako looked at Natalie and Kimberly sitting on the couch next to Hawkeye with slight fear in their eyes. She looked back at Mustang and spoke with a curious, yet serious tone of a voice.

"I guess I have to ask. What's your purpose of being here?" She said. As she took off her lab coat and removed her gloves to grab her smoking pipe.

"It's quite a long story…" Hawkeye explained.

Pinako blew out a puff of smoke from her pipe. "I'm sure I have plenty of time. Winry is busy taking care of Ed for me and she knows what she's doing. So you can explain."

Mustang and Hawkeye explained the whole story to Pinako and the more she listened about the sisters' tragedy, the more she felt sorry for them. When they finished explaining the situation, Pinako blew out another puff of smoke and looked at the girls with pity.

"I was going to ask why these girls came here with you…" She remained silent for a while to think it over then she looked at the girls with a comforting smile. "It will be a shame for you girls to remain homeless. You two shall fit in fine here. Everyone here is family, and there's plenty of room for you two to stay in."

Natalie smiled shyly, while her sister jumped off the couch and jumped around laughing. Pinako smiled at how much energy she has and blew out another puff of smoke.

"You two can call me granny if you wish. That's what the kids call me, of course." She puts on her lab coat and grabs out a clean pair of gloves. "You'll get to meet Winry and Alphonse, but as for Ed, it will take a bit for you to meet him."

"Uhm…g-granny…?" Natalie said quietly, "What's wrong with Ed…?"

Pinako stopped walking towards the hallway door and turned back around to face everyone.

"Well, Ed and his brother Alphonse lost their mother at a young age. They tried to bring her back by using alchemy."

"….Human transmutation…?"

Pinako paused. "Yes…How do you know that?"

"Natalie has been studying her father's research for about a year now." Roy said, "Unlike the Elric brothers, she chooses to follow the rules of whatever she learns from alchemy books instead of choosing to roll the dice."

"I see…Well, because they tried to bring the dead back to life, Al lost his entire body, and Ed lost his leg. Ed then gave up his arm to bring his brother back to life, but instead of trying to bring his whole body back, he brought back his soul and bound it to a suit of armor. Now at this moment we're giving Ed an automail arm and leg so he can become a State Alchemist. Good news is we're almost finished."

"Oh wow…" Natalie said unable to think of anything else to say. "That's awful…"

"Yes it is…well, Ed should have his automail arm finished by the end of this month. So when his automail is finished you can talk to him."

Just like that, Natalie and Kimberly were taken in by the Rockbell family, and now stay with Winry, Edward, and Alphonse. Someday, Natalie will repay them when she becomes a State Alchemist.

~And thats it! Tell me what you think and hope you like it!~


	2. Chapter 1

_**Fullmetal Alchemist: Story of the Griffin **_

**Chapter 1: No Turning Back**

Natalie sat on the floor absorbed in an alchemy book. A year has passed and Ed and Al have taught her everything they learned, and according to the information they gave her, they knew a lot more than Natalie did. Den came in the room, sniffed Natalie's long hair, and licked her face. Natalie giggled and gently stroked his fur. She could hear the sound of metal hitting against the hardwood floor at the stairs. Al walked down the steps, his suit of armor making a slight noise each time he moved. He turned to Natalie and spoke,

"Morning, Natalie." Al said.

Natalie smiled at him, "Morning, Al."

Al looked at the window and showed it was still early in the morning. He looked at Natalie once again.

"When did you get up?" He asked, "I didn't hear you walk down the stairs."

"Ah, it was a couple hours ago I think." Natalie replied, "I'm not sure. I couldn't sleep at all, so I thought I would try to understand more about alchemy." She scratches the back of her head. "To be honest, I still don't understand a few things."

Al looked at the clock. "It looks like it's almost time for breakfast."

Natalie stood up. "I'll take care of it today." She walks over to the kitchen and starts making pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage.

Ten minutes passed, and the smell of sausages and bacon took over the whole house. Winry woke up, and walked downstairs to greet Natalie and Al good morning.

"Morning, Winry." Al said.

"Morning…" Winry yawned.

As Natalie was cooking the eggs, she felt a sudden weight slightly pulling her back. It was her sister Kimberly; she jumped on her sister and hugged her from behind.

"Mornin', sis!" She giggled.

"Uh…morning Kimberly…" she replied, slightly anxious, "Could you get off? I'm in the middle of making breakfast."

Kimberly giggled, and released her sister. She then looked up, and noticed Alphonse. He giggled.

"Good morning, Kimberly." He said.

Kimberly blushed. "Um…g-good morning Al…"

"Did you sleep well?"

"Um, yes…very much!"

Natalie thought about waking up Ed, but she thought she would let him sleep a little longer. About twenty minutes later, Pinako walked into the kitchen.

"I see you're making breakfast again, huh Natalie?" she asked.

"Yep." Natalie replied. "It's about finished."

"I'll take care of the rest." Pinako said as she walks toward the stove. "How about you go upstairs and wake up Ed?"

Natalie nodded, and she walked upstairs to Ed's room. She knocked on the door, and heard no response. When she opened the door, she saw Ed sleeping peacefully on his bed. His blanket partially covered his legs, and his shirt showed his stomach as his left hand was resting peacefully on top. In the silence, she could hear his soft breathing. She walked up to him, and gently tapped him on his shoulder.

"Ed…" she said.

No response.

"Ed, wake up."

Edward nudged a bit, then, continued to sleep peacefully. Natalie gently began to shake his left shoulder.

"Ed, wake up. Breakfast is ready."

Ed's eyes slowly opened, and he began to sit up on the bed. He rubbed his left eye, and let out a long yawn. He stood up.

"Thanks, Natalie…" yawned Ed. "I'll be there soon."

"Okay." She was about to leave the room, until something crossed her mind. "Hey, Ed…"

"Yeah?"

"After breakfast, you're leaving to become a State Alchemist, right?"

Ed paused for a moment, then, smirked.

"Yeah," he said. "Once I become a State Alchemist, Al and I won't be staying here anymore."

Natalie slightly smiled. "I see…"

There was a long moment of silence, finally, Natalie spoke.

"Ed…"

"What's up?"

"…I'm going with you."

Ed's eyes were wide. "What?"

"I'm going with you. I told you I'm planning on joining the military as well. I told you I will be doing this for my father."

Ed smiled. "Natalie, you don't have to do that. One of us becoming dogs of the military is bad enough."

"But I'm doing this for my father. I want to make him proud. I want to prove to my parents…and my sister…that I can take care of not only myself, but my family as well.

Ed frowned, then let out a sigh. "Okay, you can come. But are you sure you wanna do this?"

"Yes."

"Does Kimberly already know?"

Natalie paused for a moment. "No…but I'm going to explain the situation to her."

Natalie and Ed could hear Pinako's voice coming from the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey, you two! Hurry up and get down here, your breakfast is getting cold!"

"We should probably hurry up." Natalie smiled.

Ed laughed "Yeah, or else Granny will kill us! By the way, did she make breakfast today?" 

"Nope, I did."

"Ah, great! Let's hurry up then!"

Natalie and Edward rushed downstairs to eat their breakfast. While everyone was eating, Natalie decided to break the news to the rest of the family.

"Hey, um…I'll be going with Ed and Al to become a State Alchemist." Natalie said.

"I thought you were going to say that…" Pinako sighed. "Kimberly better not come with you."

"But I am!" She shouts. "Wherever sis goes, I go!"

"But it's going to be dangerous Kimberly." says Winry, "Besides; you think the military is going to let a three year old girl run around with State Alchemists?"

"Of course! I'll be fine." Kimberly lets out a bright smile

Natalie smiles "Actually, you're going to stay here Kimberly."

Kimberly began to whine. "Huh, why! I'll be okay!"

"No you won't. Being a State Alchemist is a dangerous job. I don't want my little sister getting hurt. So, you will be staying here."

Kimberly pouted, "But…!"

Natalie gave a serious look at her younger sister. "Kimberly, there might be a possibility that you could die. I'm not going to see another family member of mine disappear."

Everyone became silent. Then, Natalie smiled at Kimberly.

"I want you to stay here, where I know you'll be safe." Natalie said, calmly. "You can help Winry and Granny with their automail business. How about that?"

Kimberly frowned, then, sighed.

"Fine…I'll stay." She whined. "But, you better come back to visit!"

Ed smiled, "Don't worry, we will."

After they devoured their breakfast, Ed and Natalie got dressed, and packed a few extra clothes for their trip. Winry, Pinako, and Kimberly stood out on the front porch with Al, Ed, and Natalie, all ready to leave. Kimberly walked up to Natalie and held out the stuffed rabbit to her. It was the stuffed rabbit Natalie made for Nellie. Natalie smiled, and pushed the rabbit towards Kimberly.

"You keep it." Natalie said.

"But you will get lonely." Kimberly frowned. "So take it."

"I'll be okay. I'll have Al and Ed with me. Besides I gave that rabbit to you. You have to keep it."

Winry smiled, and Pinako looked up at Ed.

"Make sure you call us when you get to Central." She said.

"Yeah, yeah." Ed replied. "Let's go Al, Natalie."

They hurried to the train station and hopped on a train to Central. The trip seemed like hours, and Natalie was soundlessly asleep thirty minutes after the train left Risembool. Everything seemed quiet for a while. Then, Al spoke to Ed.

"Natalie sure has lost a lot has she…?"

Ed looked at Natalie, sleeping peacefully by the window. "Yeah…"

"We lost our mom…but Natalie, she lost both of her parents and a sister…"

Ed was silent for a moment, "…I remembered when she first started living with us. Every time we have supper, she always said, 'I'm not hungry.' She was depressed for weeks. Kimberly saw her mom, but she never saw her dad. She doesn't even know she had another sister. So, she wasn't as sad as Natalie was…"

"I don't blame her for hoping to become a State Alchemist."

"Yeah…"

Sadness filled the environment, then, Ed decided to lighten up the mood.

"Ya know, Kimberly has been really attached to you this year." Ed laughed.

"Huh, you think so? I think she's just very shy towards me…"

"Nah, I think she likes you."

"W-what!"

"Wow, you already stole a girl's heart Al. Nice move, you ladies man." Ed smirked.

Al speaks in an embarrassed tone as he waves his hands. "I-It's nothing like that!"

Ed laughs. "Sure…"

"Brother, I'm serious!"

"I see how it is, Al. You get a girlfriend way before I do…"

"Brother, will you listen to me!"

"Aw, jeez Al I'm just joking!" Ed laughs. "You never take a joke, do you?"

Al sighs. "You're so mean."

Ed smirks. "I don't know if Kimberly likes you, to me, I think she's so happy towards you because she has someone that's like a brother to her."

Al was quiet for a moment, "Yeah…maybe…"

Ed decided to sleep for the rest of the trip, so Al was left out in the silence. Al kept thinking about how happy he would be if he got his body back. Soon, Natalie woke up and noticed Ed sound asleep. Natalie looked at Al, and began to start a conversation with him.

"So…how long has Ed been asleep?"

"For a while…"

"…I see…"

"…"

Silence filled the area. Eventually, Al spoke.

"I'm sick and tired of being in this armor…"

Natalie looked at him with pity, "I bet you are, Al…"

"I wanna feel things again…I want to smile and cry like the rest of you. I wanna eat and sleep again…"

"I know, Al…and Ed is doing whatever it takes to make sure you get your body back….and I'm going to help him…"

"Natalie, wouldn't you want to use the Philosopher's Stone to bring back your mom or your dad…?"

"…"

"Natalie?"

"It's pointless to bring back the dead, even if you have the Philosopher's Stone…the way I see it, I'm disturbing their peaceful rest…besides, what if it's similar to human transmutation? When you told me how your mom was after you did the transmutation, you guys said it looked nothing like her. Ed said he was afraid of it…so what if that happens when I try to bring back my parents?"

"It shouldn't though…Those who possess the Philosopher's Stone are no longer bound to equivalent exchange. We can bring back the dead as if the person never really died."

"I have my doubts…"

"…"

"So what? Does this mean you guys are planning on bringing your mom back as well?"

"Well…"

"'Well…' what Al?"

"…All I know is that Brother is going to use it to get my body back…that's all…"

"What about his limbs?"

"He said my lost body is more important."

"…I see…"

"…"

"…"

"So what was your father like?"

"Well, he took the title as The Green Lion Alchemist. He was strict on the Law of Equivalent Exchange. He always reconstructed things into something that was useful to the military."

"Really? That's pretty cool!"

"Yeah, I guess I'm following his techniques. All of the books I've read at my house were the books he learned from."

"So you might be carrying out your father's title?"

"Yep, it's a possibility."

The more Al and Natalie talked, the fewer amounts of topics they had left. Ed eventually woke up, and they could see the town of Central from a far distance.

"We're almost there…" Ed said.

"So this means all of us are going to become State Alchemists?" Natalie asked.

"That's what I'm planning to do…" Al replied.

"You know Al you really don't have to do this." Says Ed, "Being part of the military means you're like a dog with a leash around your neck. Just because I'm going to become a State Alchemist doesn't mean you have to as well."

"But I want to Brother."

"Even if he doesn't become part of the military," Natalie asks, "wouldn't he still be working for them if you make it Ed?"

"That would have to be Al's choice." Ed replies.

"But Brother, I can't go home and wait." Al said, "I want to help you. I want to help get our bodies back."

Ed smiles, "You do realize once we make this decision, there's no turning back, right?"

Al paused for a moment, "I know."

Ed turns to face Natalie. "Same thing for you Natalie. Once we get into the military, there's no turning back."

Natalie nods. "I already know that Ed."

The train stops and let the passengers out onto the Central Train Station. Ed, Al, and Natalie stepped out and started walking toward the Central Headquarters.

Lust sits on top of a building watching people walk from place to place. _Soon, they will all be dead,_ she thought. Gluttony sits beside her with a finger in his mouth begging to sink his teeth into any of the humans' flesh. He began to pace back and forth whimpering like a little puppy begging for a treat.

"Oh, calm down Gluttony," Lust said, "soon you'll get to eat as much as you want."

Lust heard someone jumping off the rooftop behind them. Lust smiled calmly, _here we go again. Death never changes…_

Death landed perfectly on her feet and slowly walked toward the sidewalk. She looked around as if she was planning to meet someone. When a man passed her, she grabbed his arm tightly. The man looked at the young teenager surprisingly, and was dragged into the alley. He was pushed against a wall.

"H-hey," said the man, startled, "what the hell are you-?"

"I'd like to ask a few questions…" Death said. She began to slowly walk towards the man, as if she was making a move on him. When her face was inches away from his, she revealed a smirk and began to talk softly.

"Do you remember when The Green Lion Alchemist was alive, by any chance…?"

"Who?"

"Don't play dumb with me. Now listen here, I'm hearing that his daughter is still alive, is that right?"

"Oh, you mean Joseph James Griffin, the State Alchemist? I only heard rumors, but I think he died in a Car Accident-."

"That's not what I asked you." She spoke coldly. "Now, tell me about his daughter…The younger one…is she still alive?"

The man paused for a moment, the spoke. "I believe so, but I doubt it because her mother died several years ago…why do you ask?"

Death looked closely into the man's eyes. Suddenly, her eyes revealed the look of a devil, and she saw a part of his past. The man was caught cheating on his wife, and was kicked out of his house. The man's eyes widened and his breath became uneven. His voice shook when he spoke.

"What…what the hell are you?"

She smiled and began to take a few steps back. Her voice turned into a peaceful, cheery tone.

"I'm just a neighborhood school girl." She replied, "Nothing more, nothing less."

She began to walk away, but stopped to face the man once more, and blew a kiss at him. A few seconds later, the skin on his skin began to dry up like a raisin. He began to suffocate, and collapsed to the ground. After five minutes, he was dead. Death smirked and looked up at the rooftop.

"Hey, Gluttony," she called, "I got a snack for you."

Gluttony looked down, staring at the dead man lying on the ground. His curious face soon turned into a wide grin, the corners of his smile on each end of his face.

"I can eat him?" he said happily, "I can really eat him?"

"Of course," Death replied, "It's not like I'm going to eat him."

Gluttony jumped down and began to sink his teeth into the man's body. Blood gushing out and splattered all over the ground.

"Come on Gluttony; show some table manners at least." Death complained.

Lust jumped down and walked up to Death.

"So, you got all of the info you wanted?" she asked.

Death closed her eyes and smirked, "For now," she replied, "If she is alive, she would try to take her father's place…and once that day comes, I will yearn for the day I will kill her…with my own two hands…"

Lust smiled, "Already, you're starting to hunt down a human. What is it that makes you want to kill The Green Lion Alchemist's daughter anyway?"

Death thought for a moment, then said, "Lets just say I have to destroy the past I'm running away from.


	3. Chapter 2

_**Fullmetal Alchemist: Story of the Griffin **_

**Chapter 2: Chimera**

Roy Mustang sits at his desk searching for an alchemist's report. Once he found it he took it out and gave it to Ed.

"If you wish to take the Alchemy Exam," Mustang said, "I suggest you study this man's work."

"Who is he?" Al asked.

"His name is Shou Tucker. He's known as the Sewing-Life Alchemist."

"'The Sewing-Life Alchemist'?" said Natalie

"That's right, he creates chimeras. His last research was on a chimera that could speak the human language. It says on his report that he succeeded in creating one."

"What!" Ed said in shock.

"He really did?" asked Al.

"Yep, until the day of the exam comes, you three will be staying with Mr. Tucker to study. You need all the help you can get, so Tucker should be of great help to you guys."

Natalie leaned over Ed's shoulder to examine Tucker's latest research report. The more she read, the more interested she was in his research.

"All right," she said, "let's do it."

Mustang nodded, "I'll take you there." He led Ed, Al, and Natalie outside to his car and started the engine. The three got into the car, and mustang drove them to Shou Tucker's house. They arrived at a huge mansion, and Mustang stopped right in front of it. When they got out, Natalie, Ed, and Al's eyes grew wide when they saw how big Shou Tucker's home was.

"I-it's huge!" Al cried.

"I've never seen anything like it!" said Natalie

Suddenly, a creature leaped out from behind the bushes and was right above Ed. Ed looked up and yelled, as he stood there for the creature to fall right on top of him. Natalie jumped and screamed, and she hid behind Al, shaking. Al looked down at the dog and laughed.

"Guess everything is big here, huh brother?" Al said

"Shut up…" Ed said

"Wh-wh-why the hell is that funny to you Al!" Natalie panicked, "Th-that dog looked like he was gonna crush Ed!"

"You think I'm that small!" Ed yelled, Natalie flinched and panicked even more. "I-I-I didn't mean that Ed!"

The door opened and a young girl around Kimberly's age was standing there.

"Alexander," The young girl said, "you know that's not nice."

A man walked up behind her and saw what happened. "Oh my, I'm sorry about that."

A sweat drop fell on Natalie's head, "Ah, it's no problem."

"Yeah, just don't say 'roll over'…" Ed said with a slight smile

Alexander got off of Ed, and everyone walked inside. When they stepped in, the inside was a mess. Text books and papers were everywhere on the floor, and dirty dishes were left in the sink. The man picked up a few text books from the counter and floor and placed them in a pile so there was more space.

"I'm sorry about the house," He apologized, "Ever since my wife left, the house was never cleaned up anymore."

"Mr. Tucker," Mustang said, "These three are going to be taking the Alchemy Exam coming up. These are the Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse, and this young girl is Natalie Griffin."

"Oh I see," Mr. Tucker bowed, "It's a pleasure to meet you three."

The young girl walked up to Al and held up his arm. "This is so heavy…why do you have this suit of armor on big brother?"

Al laughed, "Its okay, it's not that heavy for me."

Natalie gave Al a smirk, "Gee Al, never thought you were so used to being called 'big brother'…"

Al began to freak out. "What, n-no! It's nothing like that!"

"Oh yea sure…make Ed feel more like the little brother…I see how it is…"

"N-Natalie!"

Mr. Tucker smiled and then looked at his daughter. "Nina dear, why don't you go outside and play?"

Nina looked at her father and began to pout. "But daddy…can't I stay here…?"

"Well, isn't Alexander getting a bit lonely? How about you go play with him?"

Nina frowned and nodded. "Okay…" She walked outside to go play with her dog.

Mr. Tucker looked at the three children and said with a smile, "You three can stay as long as you want to prepare for the exam. We have a couple rooms that are open for you to stay in."

"Thanks a lot for having us Mr. Tucker." Natalie smiled.

"If it's all right sir, we'd like to see that chimera of yours." Ed said

"Yeah, the talking one." Said Al

Mr. Tucker stared at the children with eyes of shock. He gave them a slight frown and spoke, "I'm sorry…It died shortly after it was made…"

Natalie looked at Mr. Tucker in shock. She then looked at Ed and Al with eyes of pity.

"Well, that's okay." Natalie said. "We can still look at your research and study that way for the alchemy exam."

Mr. Tucker nodded. "Yes, that is correct. Now, if you would please follow me…"

He walked to a hallway and stopped at a door. When he opened it, Ed, Al, and Natalie gasped at what they saw. It was a room filled with shelves of books. Every single book was on Alchemy, and some were about chimeras. The young alchemists walked into the room, feeling small compared to the tall bookshelves.

"You can use this room to prepare yourselves for the exam." Mr. Tucker said happily.

"This is amazing!" Al exclaimed. "With how much knowledge is in this room, it could take months before we read every single book."

"Yeah…" Natalie said excitedly, "Hey, Ed, we should get started right away!"

Al and Natalie looked across the room to find Ed completely absorbed into an alchemy book. Al laughed.

"Looks like he already has…" Al said.

"Yep!" Natalie said as she began to search for a textbook.

Mr. Tucker smiled, "Well, I'll tell you when dinner is ready. Until then, study whatever you like."

"Thank you so much Mr. Tucker!" Said Al.

When Mr. Tucker left them alone, Ed, Natalie, and Al began to carefully read every sentence in every page of every book. To the children, it seemed as though minutes were passing by. Before they knew it, Nina entered the room with a big grin on her face.

"Hey, daddy has supper ready. You wanna come and eat?" She asked.

"Sure, Nina," Al said, "We'll be there shortly."

Nina smiled and rushed out of the room with Alexander beside her. Ed and Al placed the books down and stood up. Natalie was still absorbed in an alchemy book. 

There was something strange about the book she was reading. It was about a species called the Homonculi. They are creatures with unique abilities that heal much faster than the average human. It says they can be identified with a tattoo called the ouroboros tattoo. There were some things Natalie was not so sure of, but when she came close to learn a little more about them, Ed grabbed the book and yanked it out of her hands.

"Hey," she yelled, "I was reading that Edward!"

"And Al and I have told you like three times already that Mr. Tucker has dinner ready for us!"

Natalie lightly hit herself on the head realizing how absorbed in the book she was reading. She felt so stupid about ignoring what her friends were trying to say to her.

"Now you better hurry up," Ed said, walking out of the room, "Or Mr. Tucker would think you're not so hungry."

Natalie soon stood up within a second, and rushed over to the two brothers to catch up with them.

While at the dinner table, Ed has his plate full of steaks, broccoli, mashed potatoes, and all sorts of cooked vegetables. As Ed was stuffing his face with the food, Al was sitting in front of his plate with much less amount of the food Ed had on his plate, not touching a single piece of food. Natalie was on the other side of Ed picking her food with her fork. She wasn't that hungry after what she read. As she went back to the memories of her past, Mr. Tucker, Ed, and Al were absorbed in their own conversation.

Natalie could remember the sad look on her mother's face when her father and her older sister died. She remembered it all as if it was yesterday. Her mother was so close to keeping her inside the house, never to go outside. After a few weeks of her their death, her mother would always talk to Mustang privately in another room and leave her behind to read more alchemy books. She remembered one day her mother almost looked like she was going to tear herself apart. Natalie thought she was going to commit suicide at that moment with how she was acting. She asked her if she was okay, but when she replied, it was as if her voice soothed her. 

"It's nothing dear…" she would say with a calm smile. And then she would hug her tightly.

Natalie stopped picking her food, and her eyes shined with pure sadness and hopelessness. There was nothing she could do. She was so young back then. Even if she learned alchemy, there was no point in using human transmutation. It would just bring her mother more pain. There was no way she could ever be like a god. Not ever…

"Big sister?" Nina said, "You're not eating your food!"

Ed looked over at Natalie to see her resting her hand on her forehead, covering her eyes. It was like she was about to cry. Al, who was putting some food in his armor every now and then, looked at Natalie as well. Natalie was so lost in thought; she couldn't even hear everyone saying her name. Ed soon pushed her head forward to get her attention. Natalie shook her head and looked around at a table full of worried faces. 

"Are you okay Natalie?" Mr. Tucker asked.

"You stopped eating you food!" Nina said.

Ed and Al remained quiet, but continued to look at Natalie anxiously for a while. Natalie began to shake. _This feeling,_ she thought, _it's suffocating!_ Natalie quickly stood up, parts of her short bangs covering her eyes.

"I'm sorry…" she said quietly, "I'm just…I'll just go to bed…"

"Are you sure…?" Ed asked.

She started walking out of the dining room and upstairs to her room. Ed and Al looked at their plates of food for a while. Silence and a slight melancholy feeling pervaded the room.

Natalie lay in her bed, lost in her past. Within minutes, she found herself back in her hometown where she grew up in. She ran towards a young girl appeared to be Kimberly's age.

"Big sister Nellie!" She called, giggling.

The young girl turned around with a huge smile on her face. "Sis!" she called back. When Natalie caught up with her, she started walking away. Natalie caught her breath and quickly followed her sister back home. When they entered through the front door, Nellie stopped dead in her tracks. Natalie looked at her concerned.

"What's wrong Nellie?" she asked.

Nellie slowly turned around to face her sister. However, when she looked at her, she changed completely. Her hair turned black, and her eyes showed nothing but pure hatred. Dark powers surrounded her. As she spoke, the words felt like they were stabbing Natalie in the chest.

"I hate you..." She said.

Natalie took a few steps back to find herself leaning against a wall with no exit. No windows, no doors, nothing was even hanging on the walls. Her eyes stared at her sister not only in confusion, but in fear. She began to feel her heartbeat pounding on her chest.

"S-sister…!" she cried. "What's gotten into you?"

Nellie's eyes soon turned pure red, and she ran towards her. Natalie felt her legs suddenly moving on their own towards the staircase. She ran as fast as she could, the quickly slammed and locked the door shut of the nearest bedroom she could enter. As soon as the door was locked, a loud thud was heard on the other side of it. Natalie, shaking like a leaf, stepped away from the door and ran to a bed to hide under the covers. Tears began streaming down her cheeks.

"Mommy…!" She cried, "…Daddy…!"

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. She screamed at the top of her lungs and fell off the bed. She quickly ran to the door to unlock it, but her sister was still on the other side of the door trying to break through. Natalie quickly turned around to find her sister right in front of her again, but she was different. Her skin was as pale as a ghost, and there were dark circles under her eyes. She was also wearing clothes covered with dirt. She walked toward her younger sister until she was six inches away from her. Natalie was shaking so much, she could barely stand. She was so afraid of what her sister may do to her. Then, without any expression on her face, Nellie reached for Natalie's throat. She began to grip her neck tightly as screams of pain and gasps for air were heard from her sister.

"I want you dead Natalie…" she said, "You left me all alone…You didn't even try to find me…I hate you Natalie…I want you to die!"

Natalie began to scream for help, but no words were coming out. She tried calling out to her mother, to her father, but no response. Soon she saw her father and her mother standing right behind Nellie. They appeared to be spirits. Natalie tried to call for them again, but all she got for a response was the suffering look on her parents' faces. As they started to walk away, Natalie began trying to scream for them. Tears were pouring down her cheeks. Natalie continued to scream for help, then Nellie used all of her strength to break her neck.

Natalie screamed at the top of her lungs as she tossed and turned in her bed. When Natalie woke up, sweat was dripping from her face, and her heart was racing. Natalie was gasping for air, as if the nightmare she had was really trying to kill her. She heard her door open and loud clanks of metal were heard. Ed quickly walked into the room as Al was behind him.

"Are you okay, Natalie?" Ed said anxiously.

Natalie was still catching her breath, but she soon felt tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. Her body was trembling, and she was tightly gripping the bed sheets.

"What on earth happened here?" Mr. Tucker said as he entered the room. He looked at Natalie and became extremely worried.

"Natalie was having a nightmare…" Al said.

"Oh my…" Mr. Tucker replied.

Ed walked to Natalie and sat on her bed. He held her hand for a while and before he knew it, Natalie leaped into Ed's arms and embraced him. As she was crying all over his shirt, Ed wrapped his arms around her.

"I…I was scared…!" she cried, "My sister…Nellie…she was trying to kill me…! And my mother…my father…they didn't even save me…! They just looked at me with pity!"

Ed hugged Natalie tighter as Al and Mr. Tucker looked at the poor girl in sadness. Ed felt a wave of sadness take over him and he held her closer.

"It's okay Natalie…" he said, "We're here for you. We may not be your real family, but you're like a sister to us; both you and Kimberly. We always look after you, no matter what…"

Natalie's sobs soon turned to whimpers. Eventually she calmed down and looked up at Ed. Ed looked back at her with a reassuring smile.

"Everything's going to be okay Natalie…" He said calmly, "Al and I won't let anything happen to you…"

Natalie soon relaxed and loosened her grip on Ed. She wiped her tears away and took a deep breath. After a moment of silence, she revealed a slight embarrassed smile. 

"I'm sorry everyone…" she said quietly. "It's my fault for worrying you…"

"Don't say that Natalie…" Mr. Tucker said. "It's completely normal for people to have nightmares. And it's completely normal for other people to be concerned about it. You don't have to apologize." He smiles.

Mr. Tucker and Al soon left the room. Ed stayed with Natalie until she fell asleep.

"So…" Ed began, "Why was Nellie trying to kill you?"

Natalie showed fear in her eyes. She took a deep breath and tried to speak. "S-She said that I left her…but…She was missing….And mom wouldn't let me go search for her…"

Ed was silent for a moment, then, he sighed. "Jeez Natalie…If you worry about something like that, you're gonna have to apologize to Nellie when you find her." 

Natalie looked at him. She suddenly felt a spark of guilt inside her.

Ed smiled calmly. "If she knows how your mom feels, she would probably understand, so just calm down, okay?"

Natalie felt even guiltier, and she soon cried softly. "I'm sorry…" she cried for a few seconds then softly begins to laugh. "It kind of makes you think…what she had to deal with as the older sister…"

"Yea it does…" Ed smiles teasingly.

Natalie pouted and stuck her tongue out at him. "Ha-ha, very funny!"

"Just don't worry so much…okay? There are a lot of people that will be worried sick at situations like this." Ed says calmly. "Now try getting some sleep." Ed stood up, and walked to the doorway. He turned around with a smile, "Good night Natalie."

Natalie sighed and smiled calmly, "Yea, goodnight Ed…"

Natalie relaxed in her bed, and thought about what Nellie would say if she were with her at this very moment. She pictured her older sister snapping at her saying, "Jeez, you worry too much! How about you relax for a change?" She laughs to herself, "If only I could, sis…"


End file.
